


The Kids Aren't Alright

by RoryKurago



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Bodyswap, Gen, The Drift (Pacific Rim)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-24
Updated: 2015-03-24
Packaged: 2018-03-19 09:46:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3605577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoryKurago/pseuds/RoryKurago
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“It could be worse.” / “How?" / Raleigh looked down at his hands—Mako’s hands. Had he ever noted that tiny burn scar? The way the knuckle of her left pinkie ached in the cold? Maybe he'd always known, but he'd written it off as Hong Kong weather on his bad arm.<br/>If it helps, Dr Lightcap asked them to do it (for Science).</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Kids Aren't Alright

**Author's Note:**

  * For [artificiallifecreator](https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificiallifecreator/gifts).



> Compromise between a 3-Line shortfic meme, my compulsion to write, a request, and other commitments. (But mostly stretching my Maleigh muscles for artificiallifecreator, since she offered me Mei words.)

“It could be worse.”

“How?”

Raleigh looked down at his hands—Mako’s hands. Had he ever noted that tiny burn scar? The way the knuckle of her left pinkie ached in the cold?

Mako’s mouth was drawn into a familiar tight line.

“Okay,” he said. “—I get that on the surface, swapping bodies through a jury-rigged Pons seems like pretty bad luck—”

“I have a meeting with the UN Security Council tomorrow.”

“—but it could be worse.”

“I cannot go in your body.” Mako’s mouth was drawn into a familiar tight line that just didn’t look right on Raleigh’s broader jaw.

She peered down at him.

Raleigh looked down at his knuckle again. Rubbed a thumb over it. ( _Chuck with a_ hanbo _parroting ‘More control, Miss Mori’ too high in pitch, she’s going to flog him and worry about a splint later—)_ The callus that scraped his skin wasn't foreign but it sat wrongly. Was it sense-memory tied to her skin? Had he always known, but written it off as Hong Kong weather on his bad arm.

“Raleigh,” Mako said patiently. He glanced up at her. Him. Her eyes were on his hands curling together. “How could this be worse?”

Her mouth moved oddly against the reflex of his smile, muscles pulling the wrong way and cool air on too few teeth: “We haven’t set anything on fire.”

Now Mako smiled (the one fitted for this face). Less teeth. More confined. “This is very true. However, you make a good suggestion: the input of Doctor Geiszler will be required for Doctor Lightcap to fix this. He ought to have been at the test anyway.”

Raleigh sighed and looped his thumbs through his beltloops. He got fouled up momentarily before realising Mako wore her pants higher. “If he knew somethin’ was up, he woulda gone to ground in the lab. Let’s go see if we can shake him loose.”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if this is going anywhere. Maybe there's a theme in there of people getting stung by Newt's poor grasp of Workplace OHS?


End file.
